10 Accepted

DESNZ should provide clear, consistent and sustained cross-government leadership on communication of net zero policy.

Recommendation
DESNZ should provide clear, consistent and sustained cross-government leadership on communication of net zero policy. Policy announcements and public messaging should reinforce, rather than dilute, the urgency of emissions reductions and the long-term direction of travel required to deliver the Seventh Carbon Budget. (Recommendation, Paragraph 57)
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the urgency and states that DESNZ already provides cross-government leadership on net zero communications, citing recent campaigns, a new Clean Energy website launched in September 2025, and an annual statement to Parliament as evidence of their commitment to clear public messaging.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee that tackling climate change is essential, and that there is an urgent need to tackle emissions. DESNZ provides cross government leadership on net zero communications to ensure consistent and coherent messaging to the public. This includes developing comprehensive communications plans to explain the actions this Government is taking to tackle climate change. The Government has run several communications campaigns to increase public understanding and awareness of the actions that they can take to reduce their emissions and realise the benefits of the transition to clean energy. These include the ‘Warm & Fuzzy’ heat pump campaign, ‘A Little Saves a Lot’ Energy Saving campaign and ‘Get That Electric Feeling’ EV campaign. In addition, a new Clean Energy website explaining the government’s mission and providing advice and guidance for the public launched in September 2025. Government is also committed to clearly communicating the latest scientific information about climate change and its impacts. As discussed above, in July 2025, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, alongside the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, gave the first-ever statement on the State of Climate and Nature. The statement provided an appraisal of the state of climate and nature in the UK and the action being taken to benefit people now, as well as future generations. This is intended to be an annual statement to Parliament. Communicating the tangible benefits of action now (such as lower bills, better jobs and cleaner air) will help people to see the value for themselves, their communities and future generations. We will continue to share clear and engaging information that demonstrates the benefits of the transition so that people feel informed and confident about the journey to CB7 and beyond.
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.4 yrs
Report published 04 Mar 2026